Yi Finds His Game
Although the Bucks are still muddling along with an 11-15 record, which is good for 4th place in their division, the future keeps looking brighter as far as Yi Jianlian, the team’s first round pick, is concerned. The 7 foot Chinese sensation, seems to have gotten the feel of the NBA game down recently, and has been on a scoring orgy over the past few games. Although he has been logging in quality minutes the whole season, Yi has seen his playing time increase recently, playing in over 40 minutes in the last two games. His play has certainly demanded the additional PT.
Over the last several games, Yi has scored 18, 10, 22, 13, and 8 before exploding for 29 points and 10 rebounds against Charlotte. His all around game has improved also as his fouls have dropped. Yi didn’t have more than three fouls in a game for the month of December, and his defense has gotten much better. The big Asian has 27 blocks on the year, so far, although turnovers still remain a problem. His play has certainly been noticed by the American media, as Sports Illustrated has him ranked as the number one rookie after the last week.
The Bucks have been slowed by injuries–Desmond Mason is one of three Bucks out for several weeks–but if Yi continues this level of play and the team gets healthy, they could still make a charge for a post season slot.
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